The  Point  of  Attack 

OR 

-low  to  Start  the  Photoplay 

By   CLARENCE   G.  BADGER 


The  Point  of  Attack 


By 
CLARENCE  G.  BADGER 

DIRECTOR  OF  GOLDWYN    FEATURES 


One  of  a  Series  of  Lectures  Especially 

Prepared  for  Student-Members 

of  <?he  Palmer  Plan 


PALMER  PHOTOPLAY  CORPORATION 

DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION 
LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA 


Cofrright,/920,  Palmer  Photoflajr  Corporation,  Los  Angeles,  California 
All  Rights  Reserved 


CLARENCE  G.  BADGER 


MR.  B  A  D  G  E  R  is  one  of  those  men  of  foresight  and 
vision  who,  realizing-  the  limitless  future  of  moving 
pictures,  identified  himself  with  photoplay  production 
in  the  earlier  years  of  the  art.  Over  a  decade  ago  Mr.  Badger 
tried  his  hand  at  freelance  photoplay  writing,  only  to  find 
that  he  'was  dealing  with  a  new  form  of  expression  and  that 
he  faced  the  necessity  of  learning  the  rudiments  of  screen  plot 
construction  right  at  the  start. 

After  a  preparatory  period  of  intensive  study  he  attacked 
the  work  of  photoplay  writing  with  persistence  and  precision, 
progressing  as  staff  writer  with  the  old  Lubin  Company,  then 
with  Universal,  Keystone,  Sennett-Par amount,  and  finally  with 
the  Goldwyn  organization,  being  chosen  from  a  host  of  possi- 
bilities, and  appointed  director  of  feature  productions,  a  position 
which  he  nova  occupies. 

Mr.  Badger  has  not  only  kept  pace  with  the  constantly 
changing  methods  of  production,  but  has  usually  managed  to 
be  a  step  ahead  of  the  field.  He  directed  Mable  Normand  in 
"Sis  Hopkins"  and  other  features;  Madge  Kennedy  in  "Friend 
Husband",  "A  Perfect  Lady",  and  "Mother  Of  Mine",  and  his 
production  of  "Jubilo",  starring  Will  Rogers,  was  one  of  the 
successes  of  the  season  of  1919-20.  The  clear  and  thoughtful 
manner  in  which  he  has  dealt  with  "The  Point  Of  Attack"  is 
an  illustration  of  the  qulaity  of  mentality  that  he  injects  into 
all  of  his  work. 


\ 


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT7 


IN  the  Handbook  Mr.  Palmer  has  set  forth  tersely 
and  truthfully  that  one  of  the  greatest  problems  of 
the  photoplaywright  lies  not  in  gleaning  themes  and 
plots  from  a  scant  supply  of  material,  but  rather  in 
choosing  for  development  basic  story  ideas  from  a  world- 
wide reserve  store  so  inexhaustible  as  to  bewilder  those 
who  have  not  acquired  the  knack  and  habit  of  elimina- 
tion and  selection.  To  paraphrase  Shakespeare,  "All  the 
world's  a  screen,"  and  all  the  myriad  inhabitants  are 
potential  characters.  When  we  establish  well-motivated 
conflict  between  two  or  more  such  characters  or  groups 
of  characters,  we  have  the  germ  of  a  story  which,  as  it 
evolves  into  a  series  of  increasingly  tense  dramatic  situa- 
tions, expressed  in  action,  becomes  a  photoplay. 

Beginning  the  Story 

2.  After  the  first  step  of  picking  a  theme  and  a 
set  of  characters  comes  the  task  of  deciding  upon  a  point 
of  attack — a  beginning.  Aristotle,  the  father  of  all 
dramatic  craftsmanship,  required  that  every  drama  have 
a  beginning,  a  middle  and  an  end — a  period  of  exposition 
or  explanation,  of  development  and  of  logical  result.  It 
is  with  the  first  of  these  that  I  shall  deal.  The  novice 
may  attach  little  or  no  importance  to  this  initial  move 
in  the  creation  of  a  photoplay,  but  study  and  the  experi- 
ence that  comes  with  practical  analysis  and  the  actual 
work  of  plot-building  will  lend  emphasis  to  the  state- 
ment that  no  single  consideration  demands  more  careful 
and  thoughtful  attention.  Let  us  assume  that  when  the 

3 


drop-curtain  rises  in  a  motion  picture  theatre  and  the 
shadow  action  commences,  the  audience  is  looking,  not 
at  figures  projected  upon  a  screen,  but  through  a  window 
into  the  private  lives  of  fictitious  characters  around 
whom  the  plot  is  woven.  The  photoplaywright  is  the 
creator  of  those  characters  and  the  absolute  ruler  of 
their  destinies.  Therefore,  it  is  the  photoplaywright 
who  must  decide  at  just  what  period  in  their  lives  the 
window  curtain  is  raised  and  the  audience  is  allowed 
its  first  peep  at  what  is  going  on. 

3.  In  the  exhibition  of  a  five-reel  subject  about 
seventy-five  minutes   are  occupied   in   running  the   five 
thousand  feet  of  film  through  the  projecting  machine, 
and  the  time  for  the  showing  of  one,  two,  six  or  seven 
reel  subjects  may  be  calculated  accordingly — an  average 
of  about  fifteen  minutes  to  each  reel.     These   are  the 
standard  lengths  of  the  screen  dramas  and  comedies  of 
the  present  day.     Therefore,  it  is  obvious  that  a  limit 
must  be  set  to  the  length  of  each  story  that  is  photo- 
graphed.    So,  in  starting  to  visualize  a  story,  the  author 
must  of  necessity  mark  a  beginning  from  which  the  action 
develops — he  must  draw  a  line  of  demarcation  between 
the  events  that  the  spectators  are  to  witness  during  a 
set  space  of  time  and  the  events  which  have  preceded 
and  are  related,  but  which  have  no  actual  part  in  the 
picture  itself.    In  dealing  with  the  drama  of  the  speaking 
stage   these    preceding    events,    which    are    never    seen 
although  frequently  suggested,  are  known  as  the  condi- 
tions antecedent,  and  for  lack  of  a  better  term  I  shall 
hereafter  so  refer  to  them. 

Linking  the  Past  and  Present. 

4.  In  selecting  a  point  of  attack  or  beginning,  the 
photoplaywright  is  confronted  with  the  task  of  skillfully 
forming   a   link  between   the   outside   occurrences   that 

4 


have  gone  before  and  those  which  are  witnessed  by  the 
audience  as  integral  parts  of  the  photoplay  itself.  He 
must  decide  at  just  what  time  and  place  and  under 
exactly  what  circumstances  the  audience  may  commence 
snooping  into  the  lives  of  the  characters  whose  dramatic 
relations  carry  them  through  smiles,  tears  and  suspense 
for  an  indefinite  period. 

5.  The  novelist,  the  dramatist  of  the  speaking  stage 
and  the  photoplaywright  must  all  wrinkle  their  brows 
over  this  same  problem  of  starting  a  story,  yet  each  in 
his  separate  path  of  craftsmanship  must  choose  a  different 
method.     The  novelist  is  the  freest  of  the  three  from 
tightly    drawn    limitations.     Frequently    a    novel    is    a 
fictional  biography  and  starts  with  the  birth,  or  at  least 
the  early  childhood  of  its  principal  character,  moving 
gradually  along  through  the  seven  ages  to  the  grave. 
Nor  is  this  the  limit,  for  the  novelist  may,  in  order  to 
fully  acquaint  his  readers  with  the  most  minute  details 
of   the   character   of   his   hero   or   heroine,    go    further 
back  than  birth  and  deal  with  the  parents  or  even  the 
grandparents,  thus  explaining  hereditary  influences  that 
may  have  bearing  upon  the  subsequent  life  of  the  prin- 
cipal figure  of  his  story. 

A  Literary  Beginning. 

6.  In  "Madame  Bovary,"  the  hero,  if  we  may  call 
him   such,   is    Charles   Bovary.     The    author,   Gustave 
Flaubert,  describes   the   circumstances   surrounding  the 
marriage  of  Monsieur  Charles  Bovary,  senior,  the  father 
of  the  hero,  and  acquaints  the  reader  with  the  disagree- 
able   events    that   precede    the   birth    of  little    Charles. 
Then  we  learn  of  the  boy's  start  at  school,  and  through 
chapter  after  chapter  his  life  is  unfolded  before  us  until 
he  is  married,  a  child  is  born,  his  wife  passes  away  and 
finally,  a  bearded  and  broken  man,  he  is  found  dead. 

5 


This  tale  deals  with  the  events  in  the  lives  of  three 
generations  and  "Madame  Bovary"  is  by  no  means  an 
excessively  long  novel.  Had  there  been  photoplays 
during  the  life  of  Flaubert,  and  had  he  set  about  to 
write  a  screen  drama  instead  of  a  novel,  basing  it  upon 
the  material  contained  in  "Madame  Bovary,"  he  would 
have  had  to  choose  a  quite  different  point  of  attack  or 
beginning.  It  may  be  assumed  that  he  would  have 
started  his  story  with  events  closely  preceding  the  mar- 
riage of  young  Charles  and  would  have  omitted  his  early 
manhood,  his  childhood  and  the  happenings  in  the  lives 
of  his  parents  before  his  birth. 

7.  It  is  apparent  then  that  the  novelist  may  relate 
a  long,  drawn-out  series  of  happenings  extending  not 
only  completely   through  the  life   of   a   character,   but 
back  into  the  lives  of  his  ancestors  and  on  into  the  lives 
of  his  children.     The  dramatist  is  not  permitted  such 
liberal  privileges.    To  the  dramatist  lengthy  biography 
is  forbidden  and  he  must  confine  himself  to  a  dramatic 
crisis  or  a  definitely  related  series  of   dramatic  crises 
occurring  at  a  certain  point  or  during  a  definite  period 
in  the  life  of  his  principal  character.     A   reader  may 
devote  days  or  weeks  to  the  perusal  of  a  novel,  but  the 
theatregoer  has  but  a  portion  of  an  afternoon  or  evening 
in  which  to  witness  a  drama,  except  in  a  Chinese  theatre 
where  the  exhibition  of  a  play  requires  several  days  or 
even  weeks.    We  are  not  at  present  dealing  with  Chinese 
drama. 

The  Screen  Dramatist. 

8.  The  photoplaywright  may  be  said  to  be  a  screen 
dramatist  and  he  is  bound  by  restrictions  similar  to  those 
governing  the  author  of  a  stage  play.     Again  there  is  a 
difference,  however.     In  beginning  a  spoken  drama  the 
dramatist  has  recourse  to  dialogue,  and  in  this  manner 
he   is    able  to   establish    the   conditions   antecedent — the 

6 


events  that  have  occurred  before  the  rise  of  the  curtain. 
How  many  times,  in  witnessing  a  spoken  drama,  have 
we  seen  the  butler  and  the  housemaid  dusting  about  and 
putting  to  order  the  furniture  and  bric-a-brac,  while 
engaged  in  dialogue  which  describes  in  detail  to  the 
eavesdropping  audience  the  conditions  which  prepare 
for  what  is  to  follow.  In  many  cases  much  of  the  first 
act  is  given  over  to  such  preparatory  and  explanatory 
dialogue,  although  the  butler-housemaid  conversation  is 
avoided  or  modified  in  modern  usage.  But  the  characters 
in  a  photoplay  are  dumb,  except  for  occasional  sub-titles. 
Hence  we  see  that  while  the  photoplaywright  has  a  wider 
sweep  of  possibilities  after  his  story  is  once  under  way, 
he  is  in  the  clutch  of  greater  difficulties  than  either  the 
novelist  or  the  dramatist  so  far  as  the  matter  of  getting 
started  is  concerned. 

9.  *Proceeding  upon  the  assumption  that  a  photo- 
play is  a  screen  drama  which  must  be  unrolled  before 
an  audience  within  a  specified  time  limit,  it  is  clearly 
necessary  to  give  concentrated  attention  to  the  important 
matter  of  beginning  the  story.  We  are  dealing  with  a 
situation — a  dramatic  crisis  or  a  correlated  series  of  situa- 
tions or  dramatic  crises.  The  start  must  not  be  too  far 
in  advance  of  the  climax,  for  in  that  case  there  will  not 
be  sufficient  time  or  film  footage  to  logically  and  con- 
secutively arrive  at  such  climax.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  audience  must  be  made  acquainted  with  the  char- 
acters and  the  events  surrounding  their  lives  far  enough 
in  advance  of  the  climax  to  assure  a  thorough  under- 

*NOTE:  I  have  said  that  the  photoplaywright  is  a  screen  dramatist  and 
that  the  photoplay  is  screen  drama.  It  is  a  fact  that  many  novels  have  been 
more  or  less  successfully  adapted  to  screen  use,  but  almost  invariably  it  has 
been  necessary  to  reorganize  and  reiarite  them  into  the  form  of  dramatic  action. 
In  some  few  cases  novels  have  been  photographed  in  their  full  and  original 
order,  but  these  have  almost  invariably  been  failures  as  screen  productions. 
In  dealing  with  the  photoplay  as  the  drama  of  the  screen,  I  am  assuming  that 
the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  practically  all  photoplays  ivill  be  the  original 
work  of  successful  students  of  screen  craft — photodramas  created  by  trained 
photodramatists. 


standing  of  the  causes  that  lead  to  the  subsequent  effect. 
Perhaps  this  may  be  more  clearly  explained  by  example: 

A  Simple  Example. 

10.  Let  us  suppose  that  we  are  seated  among  the 
spectators  at  a  murder  trial.    A  witness  is  called  to  the 
stand  and  after  he  is  sworn  in  the  prosecuting  attorney 
says:  "We  have  just  ten  minutes  before  court  adjourns 
for  the  day.     I  want  you  to  start  and  tell  us  all  that 
you  know  about  this  killing  in  just  ten  minutes."     Let 
us  assume  that  the  witness  has  known  all  of  the  persons 
involved  in  the  crime  for  many  years  and  that  he  was  an 
actual  witness  of   the  murder  and  of  many  connected 
events  that  took  place  before  and  after.     He  is  facing 
exactly  the  same  problem  that  confronts  the  photoplay- 
wright.     Each   is  compelled  to   tell    a   story  within   a 
specified  time  limit.    Each  may  turn  back  to  happenings 
of  years  before,  which  may  be  more  or  less  interesting, 
but  which  must  be  swept  aside  to  make  room  for  what 
is  vital  and  necessary.    Or  each  may  in  his  haste  plunge 
incoherently  into  the  midst  of  the  actual  scene  of  the 
crime  and  omit  information  that  is  important  in  showing 
motive   and   connecting   a    logical    sequence    of    events 
leading   up    to   the    climax.      Each    must    thoughtfully 
decide  upon  a  point  of  attack — a  beginning. 

11.  There   are  numerous   methods   of  opening   the 
action  of  a  photoplay,  no  one  of  which  may  be  set  apart 
as  invariably  superior  to  the  others.     Various  forms  of 
photoplays  require  a  variety  of  beginnings.    While  essen- 
tially the  same  results  are  sought  in  all  cases,  numerous 
methods  may  be  employed  to  obtain  such  results.     Gen- 
erally the  opening  must  do  one  or  more  of  the  following 
things : 

Look    backward    and    acquaint    the    audience    with 
important  events  having  direct  bearing  upon  the  forth- 


coming    play,    but    which    have    occurred    before    the 
appearance  of  the  first  scene  on  the  screen; 

Look  forward  and  more  or  less  vaguely  suggest  what 
will  or  may  happen; 
Secure  attention; 
Arouse  interest; 
Create  expectancy; 
Stimulate  curiosity. 

Numerous  Methods. 

12.  Just  as  there  are  an  endless  number  of  stories 
yet  untold  and  awaiting  the  treatment  of  properly 
trained  writers,  so  are  there  countless  ways  and  means 
of  starting  these  stories  into  action.  Probably  the  oldest 
method  is  embodied  in  the  Prologue,  frequently  used  in 
the  past  and  in  some  cases  at  present.  This  device  is 
employed  in  spoken  drama  to  convey  necessary  explana- 
tions and  prepare  the  audience  for  what  is  to  follow, 
and  it  may,  in  some  cases,  be  utilized  in  a  photoplay. 
It  must  not  be  a  thing  apart,  however,  but  must  be  as 
directly,  logically  and  smoothly  connected  with  the 
body  of  the  story  itself  as  possible. 

13.  "Gates  of  Brass,"  one  of  the  study  scenarios 
accompanying  the  Palmer  Plan,  supplies  a  fine  example 
of  the  Prologue  in  a  photoplay.  The  real  story  com- 
mences after  the  lapse  of  twelve  years.  All  that  goes 
before  is,  in  effect,  a  Prologue.  It  serves  to  convey  to 
the  audience  the  information  that  Blake  is  a  "dyed  in 
the  wool"  money-shark  and  that  the  better  side  of  his 
nature  enwraps  him  in  a  surpassing  love  for  his  daughter. 
The  story  that  follows  is  based  upon  the  result  of  this 
conflict  of  character  inside  the  man,  yet  the  Prologue 
and  the  story  proper  are  so  skillfully  and  smoothly  linked 
together  that  the  spectators,  in  viewing  the  picture, 
scarcely  realize,  without  careful  analysis,  that  they  have 

9 


witnessed  a  Prologue.  This  preliminary  establishing  of 
necessary  information  in  the  minds  of  the  audience 
prepares  them  in  a  natural,  informative  and  interesting 
manner  for  the  crisis,  or  rather  the  series  of  crises,  that 
follow  in  the  lives  of  Blake  and  his  daughter. 

14.  Another  way  of  starting  a  photoplay  is  to  plunge 
directly  into  the  crisis,  or  the  first  of  a  series  of  crises  or 
dramatic  situations.    This  method  is  employed  in '"Speed 
and    Suspicion,"   where  we   find   Clinton    and    Barrow 
being  pursued  by  a  speed  officer.     The  story  deals  with 
a  laughable  crisis  in  their  lives  and  it  is  of  no  interest 
to  the  audience  who  they  are,  where  they  came  from, 
what  their  lines  of  business  may  be  nor  anything  else 
other  than  that  they  are  breaking  a  law  and  are  being 
pursued  therefor. 

15.  Let   us   return   to   the  example  of   the   murder 
trial  witness  and  apply  the  different  formulas.     Suppose 
the  witness  were  to  proceed  as  follows:    "Fifteen  years 
ago  the  murderer  and  his  victim  were   rival   political 
candidates  for  office  down  in  Texas.    After  the  election 
each  accused  the  other  of  buying  votes  and  as  a  result 
they  became  deadly  enemies.     Both  left  town  and  did 
not  meet  again  until  the  day  of  the  murder.    Then  they 
came  together  in  a  cafe,  and  friends  knowing  the  circum- 
stances surrounding  their  lives  kept  them  apart.     Later 
in  the  day,  however,  they  met  on  the  street,  and  after  a 
violent  quarrel  shots  were  fired  and  the  murder  resulted." 

Plunging  Into  the  Crisis. 

This  is  a  brief  and  sketchy  example  of  the  use  of  the 
Prologue.  The  witness,  relating  the  facts  of  the  long 
passed  election  and  the  enmity  that  resulted,  established 
in  the  minds  of  the  jurymen  information  that  indi- 
cates the  motive  which  led  up  to  the  killing.  Now 

10 


let  us  see  how  he  would  have  proceeded  had  he  plunged 
directly  into  the  climactic  crisis.  He  would  have  said: 
"The  murderer* came  out  of  a  cigar  store  and  saw 
his  victim-to-be  coming  along  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street.  Stepping  to  the  middle  of  the  road,  he  pulled  a 
gun  and  started  firing.  The  other  man  also  commenced 
to  shoot  and  as  the  by-standers  sought  shelter  in  door- 
ways and  behind  trees  the  victim  suddenly  staggered  and 
fell,  shot  through  the  heart." 

It  will  be  seen  that  in  choosing  this  manner  of  narra- 
tive the  witness  would  have  omitted  everything  bearing 
on  motive  and  the  conditions  antecedent.  Thus  it  would 
have  been  necessary  for  him  to  later  go  back  and  relate 
events  leading  up  to  the  crime.  So  it  is  frequently  in 
the  photoplay.  After  the  direct  plunge  into  the  crisis 
or  the  close  approach  to  the  crisis,  it  is  sometimes  neces- 
sary to  cut  back  to  preceding  events,  although  this  form 
of  construction  is  not  as  desirable  as  that  of  starting  at 
a  given  point  and  moving  forward  consecutively  to 
the  end. 

16.  I    repeat,    these   examples   are   very   brief,   but 
purposely  so,  as  they  clearly  distinguish  between  going 
back  and  laying  a  foundation  of  past  occurrences  or  of 
plunging  into  the  crisis  that  leads  almost  immediately 
to  the  climax.    In  a  photoplay  the  explanatory  informa- 
tion at  the  opening  must  be  expressed  in  action  to  just 
as  great  an  extent  as  possible.     Whatever  subtitles  are 
used  must  be  compact  and  directly  to  the  point — every 
word  must  count.     It  is  well  to  tell  your  entire  story  in 
narrative  synopsis,  although  occasional  subtitles  may  be 
suggested  if  desired. 

Calm  and  Storm. 

17.  One  of  the  best  and  most  frequently  used  story 
structures  is  that  which  starts  quietly,  familiarizing  the 


audience  with  the  characters  and  the  surroundings,  and 
then  flows  gradually  and  naturally  into  the  sequence  of 
dramatic  situations,  after  which  it  passes  on  to  a  peace- 
ful and  happy  ending.  Briefly  it  is  a  state  of  calm, 
then  a  violent  storm,  which  is  in  turn  followed  by  the 
same  quality  of  calm  in  which  the  story  started. 

18.  "Red  Hot  Dollars,"  in  which  Charles  Ray  was 
featured,  may  be  taken  as  a  good  example  of  this  form. 
It  will  be  remembered  by  those  who  witnessed  the 
production  that  Tod,  an  orphaned  young  man  of  perhaps 
twenty,  saved  the  life  of  his  employer,  the  head  of  a 
great  steel  mill,  was  adopted  by  him,  fell  in  love  with 
the  daughter  of  an  old  rival  of  the  mill  owner,  and 
after  overcoming  a  series  of  obstacles,  married  her,  at 
the  same  time  re-establishing  the  friendship  of  the  rival 
fathers.  Analyzing  the  point  of  attack  or  beginning  of 
this  story,  we  find  Tod  among  the  other  mill  hands, 
busy  with  his  day's  work.  The  five  o'clock  whistle 
blows  and  Tod,  hurriedly  dropping  his  overalls  and 
washing  up,  hastens  out  to  meet  his  "girl."  The  entire 
atmosphere  is  peaceful  and  quiet.  The  audience  is 
immediately  interested  in  the  simple  little  love  affair 
and  laughs  sympathetically  at  the  wholesome  young 
fellow's  awkward  love  making.  As  one  simple  though 
interesting  event  follows  another,  the  characters  are 
established  and  the  spectators  are  thoroughly  familiar- 
ized with  the  general  environment,  thus  preparing  them 
for  the  first  of  the  series  of  crises  when  Tod  coura- 
geously throws  his  employer  from  beneath  a  falling 
crane  and  nearly  loses  his  life  in  so  doing.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  go  deeper  into  the  story  itself,  other  than  to  state 
that  after  all  the  conflict  and  obstacles  are  passed— 
after  the  storm  is  over — we  find  the  two  old  rivals 
shaking  hands  and  the  lovers  busy  with  the  kiss  that 
we  know  precedes  a  not  distant  wedding. 


A  Definite  Analysis. 

19.  It  is  the  point  of  attack  alone  with  which  we 
are  concerned  at  the  present  time.     The  author  might 
have  gone  back  and  showed  the  death  of  Tod's  parents, 
his  search  for  employment,  his  securing  a  job  in  the  steel 
mill,  and  then  finally  have  arrived  at  the  point  where 
the  story  actually  begins.     But  why  all  that  preliminary 
action?    It  has  no  direct  bearing  on  the  story  itself  and 
was  therefore  omitted.     It  makes  no  difference  to  the 
audience  who  Tod's   parents  were  or  how   they   died. 
The  only  matters  of  importance  to  the  tale  are  that  Tod 
is  an  orphan  working  in  a  steel  mill.    This  leads  through 
a  logical  sequence  of  events  to  his  adoption  by  the  mill 
owner.     So  the  author  began  the  story  with  a  scene  of 
Tod  at  work,  then  had  the  five  o'clock  whistle  blow  and 
Tod  rush  out  to  meet  his  sweetheart.    The  little  incidents 
of  lovemaking  were  laughable  and  interesting  and  placed 
the   audience  in  a  sympathetic   frame  of  mind,   filling 
them  at  the  same  time  with  expectation  and  curiosity  as 
to  how  the  little  love  affair  was  to  end.    The  beginning 
and  the  ending  of  the  story  were  the  calm — the  middle 
was  the  storm — but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  calm 
must  be  interesting  from  the  very  first  scene. 

20.  A  variation  of  this  procedure  is  the  reversal  ot 
the  order  of  sequence  to  that  of   storm — calm — storm. 
In  other  words,  the  story  opens  with   a  direct  plunge 
into  a  situation  or  crisis,  then  slows  up  and  moves  along 
at  a  quiet  tempo,  which  speeds  up  toward  the  finish  and 
the  story  ends  with  rapid,  sensational  action.     So  far  as 
the  opening  is  concerned,  "The  Miracle  Man"  serves  to 
illustrate.     The  story  begins  with  a  scene  in  the  slums 
in  a  great  city  at  night.     A  limousine  drives  up  to  the 
curb  and  a  cripple  is  seen  struggling  almost  beneath  the 
wheels.     A  crowd  gathers  and  there  is  a  stir  of  excite- 
ment.    From  almost  the  first  moment  of  the  story  the 

'3 


action  is  intense  and  clutches  the  attention  of  the 
audience.  A  little  later  it  is  modified  to  a  slower  tempo 
in  order  to  explain  the  plot  and  prepare  the  audience 
for  the  tremendous  dramatic  situations  which  follow. 
"The  Miracle  Man"  might  have  begun  in  the  little 
country  town  where  the  patriarch  lived,  later  picking 
up  the  action  in  the  city  slums,  then  returning  to  the 
patriarch's  home,  but  it  was  much  more  effective  and 
the  continuity  was  much  smoother,  started  and  carried 
through  as  it  was. 

Studying  the  Screen. 

21.  In  analyzing  the  current  productions,  week  after 
week,  the  student  may  invariably  see  how  any  photoplay 
might  have  been  opened  in  numerously  different  ways. 
As  a  rule,  however,  there  is  an  excellent  reason  for  choos- 
ing a  certain  point  of  attack,  and  the  novice  in  photoplay 
writing  who  is  determined  to  succeed  should  attempt  to 
go  deep  enough  into  the  analysis  of  each  photoplay  wit- 
nessed to  find  out  for  himself  or  herself  just  why  a  cer- 
tain beginning  is  used.     In  many  cases  the  student  may, 
after  carefully  viewing  a  screen  production,  hit  upon  an 
opening  that  would  have  been  much  preferable  to  the 
one  which  appears.     The  constant  study  of  the  screen 
from  this  angle  is  exceedingly  helpful  as  well  as  being 
fascinating  to  the  progressive  craftsman. 

22.  Another   value   of    the    detailed   study    of    the 
point  of  attack  lies  in  the  assistance  that  it  renders  in 
avoiding  too  complicated  subjects.    If  the  author  finds 
that  his  plot  is  so  complex  and  intricate  that  there  is 
great  difficulty  in  getting  it  started  in  such  a  manner  that 
it  will  be  clear  and  easily  comprehended  by  the  audience, 
he  would  better  either  simplify  it  or  sweep  it  aside  and 
start  on  an  entirely  new  story.    Above  all  things  a  photo- 
play must  be  understandable  to  every  member  of  the 

14 


audience.  The  photoplaywright  must  never  lose  sight 
of  the  fact  that  photoplays  are  written,  produced  and 
exhibited  for  entertainment  purposes  and  that  theatre 
patrons  do  not  pay  admission  for  the  sake  of  witnessing 
puzzles.  Provided  that  a  story  is  possessed  of  strong, 
dramatic  qualities,  the  simpler  the  construction  is  the 
better.  "The  Miracle  Man,"  which  stands  as  one  of 
the  greatest  photoplays  that  has  ever  been  screened,  was 
founded  on  an  exceedingly  simple  plot  and  careful  in- 
vestigation will  reveal  that  almost  invariably  the  most 
intensely  dramatic  stories  possess  this  same  quality  of 
simplicity. 

Working  Forward  or  Backward. 

23.  In  the  Handbook,  Mr.  Palmer  has  mentioned 
two  methods  of  building  a  plot — by  gathering  together 
a  group  of  characters  and  working  forward  from  a  be- 
ginning, or  by  hitting  upon  a  big,  climatic  situation  and 
then  working  backwards  to  the  start,  deciding  through 
analysis  just  how  the  characters  manage  to  get  into  such 
a  situation.  In  working  along  either  of  these  lines  it 
is  equally  necessary  to  decide  upon  what  appears  to  be 
the  one  best  point  of  attack.  In  arriving  at  such  a 
decision,  it  is  well  to  reason  somewhat  as  follows :  Photo- 
plays are  built  of  the  conflict  of  two  or  more  factions 
and  the  situations  or  crises  that  result  from  such  con- 
flict. Therefore,  at  just  what  time  and  place  do  the 
factions  involved  start  to  converge — to  approach  the 
point  of  contact  that  leads  to  the  conflict  that  forms  the 
story.  After  such  a  point  of  convergence  is  selected  for 
a  beginning,  it  is  next  necessary  to  determine  just  how 
much  of  the  conditions  antecedent  must  be  explained 
to  the  audience,  and  in  just  how  brief  and  interesting  a 
manner  this  may  be  accomplished.  The  more  the  picture 
is  kept  within  the  frame  and  the  more  self-explanatory 
it  is,  the  easier  will  be  the  task  of  getting  started.  In 

15 


"Speed  and  Suspicion,"  the  only  fact  of  importance  that 
had  to  be  explained  was  that  Clinton's  wife  was  out  of 
town.  This  prepared  the  audience  for  the  laughable 
situation  which  later  arose  from  her  unexpected  return. 
The  remainder  of  the  picture  was  entirely  "in  the  frame," 
except  the  bit  of  information  contained  in  subtitle  num- 
ber six  that  Clinton  had  been  arrested  for  speeding  be- 
fore and  was  therefore  liable  to  a  jail  sentence. 

24.  Of  course  this  was  a  simple  one-reel  comedy, 
but  the  same  thing  of  keeping  the  picture  just  as  com- 
pletely within  the  frame  as  possible  is  largely  desirable, 
although  in  subjects  of  greater  length  it  is  frequently 
impossible  to  do  so  to  this  extent.  The  final  authority 
as  to  the  point  of  attack  is  the  continuity  writer  who 
prepares  the  sequence  of  scenes  for  the  director.  Never- 
theless, the  author  who  submits  a  direct  detailed  synopsis 
as  explained  in  the  Handbook,  should  work  out  the  story 
just  as  completely  as  possible  and  should  give  just  as 
much  thought  to  the  selection  of  the  best  point  of  attack 
as  though  he  were  writing  continuity.  The  detailed 
synopsis  should  begin  with  the  first  scene  that  is  to  ap- 
pear on  the  screen  just  as  a  continuity  does  and  then 
proceed  directly  through  to  the  end,  step  by  step.  The 
only  difference  is  that  in  the  synopsis  the  story  is  told 
in  clear,  direct  narrative  rather  than  in  scene  sequence. 

In  a  Nutshell. 

25.  Summing  up  the  whole  matter,  we  arrive  at  the 
following  conclusion :  In  setting  about  to  write  a  photo- 
play, we  are  dealing  with  persons,  places  and  things  of 
which  the  audience  has  no  previous  knowledge.  There- 
fore, right  at  the  start  we  must  introduce  our  characters 
to  the  spectators,  familiarize  them  with  the  environment 
in  which  the  story  is  set,  tell  them  of  such  past  occur- 
rences as  have  a  direct  bearing  upon  the  story  that  is 

16 


to  follow — and  interest  and  entertain  them  from  the  very 
first  moment.  Just  the  right  time,  place  and  set  of  cir- 
cumstances must  be  chosen  for  such  beginning. 

26.  The  elder  Dumas  said,  "Any  one  can  relate  a 
dramatic  situation;  the  art  lies  in  preparing  it,  getting 
it  accepted,  rendering  it  possible."  By  getting  it  accepted, 
Dumas  meant  getting  it  accepted  in  the  minds  of  the 
audience.     I  find  it  difficult  to  agree  with  Dumas  that 
"any  one  can  relate  a  dramatic  situation,"  for  it  has  been 
my  experience  that  unless  one  is  definitely  trained  in 
dramatic  values,  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  do  so.     I 
venture  to  say  that  Palmer  Plan  students  look  back  to 
the  period  before   their  study   of   the   Handbook   and 
realize  that  it  was  at  that  time  by  no  means  an  easy  mat- 
ter to  relate  a  dramatic  situation. 

27.  I  firmly  believe  that  the  careful  and  analytical 
study  of  the  point  of  attack  will  be  of  surprising  assist- 
ance to  the  photoplaywright  in  assisting  to  avoid  scat- 
tered action,  in  arriving  at  a  desirable  compactness  of 
unity  and  in  logically  and  consecutively  building  strong, 
tense  screen  plays. 

~^V^V~s 

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